South Korea Buys M-TADS/PVNS for AH-64Es

The Republic of Korea has become the 12th international customer for Lockheed Martin’s Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system for the its Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopter. A $223-million agreement through to 2018 will provide the Koreans with 36 M-TADS/PNVS systems plus spares.

Lt. Col. Shawn Powell, U.S. Army product manager for the Apache International Sales Program, Apache Attack Helicopters Project Office, said that he considered the “multiple systems” within the AH-64E made it the world’s most advanced and powerful attack helicopter.

On August 8, the U.S. Army passed the milestone of one million flight hours operating (M-TADS/PNVS). Dave Belvin, director of Apache Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, recalled “years of innovation and engineering enhancements, combined with the dedication of Army aircrews and maintainers” as an indicator to the systems’ ongoing reliability and performance. Lockheed Martin’s first TADS/PVNS system was fielded in 1983, with the modernized version, M-TADS/PNVS, introduced in 2005.

Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,200 M-TADS/PNVS systems to the U.S. Army and 12 international customers.

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